My wife recently asked me if are sinning by not taking the entire Sunday off to spend with God – she was conflicted because Mondays at her job are busy, and she has started doing a couple hours of prep work on Sundays to make her Monday’s easier. That query generated in my mind a three point outline of what I have learned regarding the Sabbath in the New Testament. May these perspectives help you as they have me. The sabbath is a:
1. Preexisting Pattern
The Sabbath represents a foundational rhythm established in pre-lapsarian creation (before the Fall). In Genesis 2:2-3, God completed His work and rested on the seventh day, blessing and sanctifying it. This divine example wasn’t merely arbitrary but established a pattern for human flourishing that predated sin and therefore retains its significance beyond the Mosaic covenant.
This parallels the marriage order established in Eden, another pre-lapsarian institution. Just as Paul appeals to creation order when discussing husband-wife relationships (1 Corinthians 11:8-9; Ephesians 5:31-32), the Sabbath principle reaches back to creation’s original design. Both institutions can be distorted: marriage through male domination rather than servant leadership, or female usurping and undermining male leadership, and Sabbath through either legalistic observance or through using it merely for self-indulgence without acknowledging God as the giver of rest. But that distortion does not abrogate their validity.
2. Prophetic Prediction
The Sabbath stands distinct among the Decalogue (the Ten Commandments) as not strictly moral law but containing typological elements (symbols pointing to future spiritual realities) similar to ceremonial laws. Unlike prohibitions against murder or theft which reflect God’s unchanging character, the Sabbath foreshadowed Christ’s completed work.
Colossians 2:16-17 reveals that Old Testament regulations including Sabbaths “are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” Jesus proclaimed Himself as the fulfillment of Sabbath rest, declaring “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28-30). So to a large extent, similar to the ceremonial laws, we no longer observe the Sabbath because Christ fulfilled it. However, do not forget that unlike the ceremonial law, the Sabbath existed BEFORE the fall, so is in another sense more permanent and not merely a fulfilled type.
Paul explicitly addresses this transition in Romans 14:5-6 and Colossians 2:16, instructing believers not to judge one another regarding Sabbath observance. This represents the shift from shadow to substance, from type to antitype (the fulfillment of what was prefigured), as believers find their ultimate rest not in a day but in a Person—Christ Himself. Here’s Paul’s explanation:
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17)
3. Principle not Prescription
Jesus consistently emphasized the spirit behind Sabbath observance rather than rigid adherence to regulations. When confronted about His disciples plucking grain on the Sabbath, He declared, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27), prioritizing human flourishing over ritual observance. Here’s the entire interaction for your amusement:
One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain fields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”
Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:23-28)
The deeper principle of Sabbath is twofold: acknowledging our dependence on God’s provision (Deuteronomy 8:17-18) and setting aside dedicated time for communion with Him. The Pharisees missed this, focusing on technical compliance while neglecting “the weightier matters of the law” (Matthew 23:23).
True Sabbath observance isn’t about mechanical adherence to a 24-hour timeframe but embracing extended periods of rest in God’s presence. It involves ceasing from our labors not merely to avoid work but to actively engage with God, family, and community in ways that regular daily devotions cannot accommodate. This principle transcends specific timing requirements, focusing instead on regular rhythms of disengagement from productivity to embrace God’s presence and provision.
In essence, Sabbath rest in the New Testament becomes less about when we rest and more about in whom we rest—Christ, our eternal Sabbath.